South Bend buys $3.25 million riverfront office park, eyes denser redevelopment

Jordan Smith, South Bend Tribune
Updated ·4 min read
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The city of South Bend bought three buildings that formerly made up the River Glen Office Park, on the west bank of the St. Joseph River near the post office in downtown South Bend, pictured on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
The city of South Bend bought three buildings that formerly made up the River Glen Office Park, on the west bank of the St. Joseph River near the post office in downtown South Bend, pictured on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

SOUTH BEND — The city on Thursday paid $3.25 million for a cluster of riverfront office buildings and parking lots in downtown South Bend where officials are planning for dense redevelopment.

The South Bend Redevelopment Commission bought the River Glen Office Park, which sits on the west bank of the St. Joseph River off Columbia Street, near the downtown post office. The city eventually hopes to build a new network of streets that connects Monroe Street, to the south, with the Jefferson Boulevard bridge and to renovate a riverfront pedestrian trail.

The city of South Bend on Thursday bought 5.2 acres of office buildings and parking lots, outlined in blue, near the post office downtown. City officials plan to rebuild a grid street network and are seeking proposals for mixed-use redevelopment.
The city of South Bend on Thursday bought 5.2 acres of office buildings and parking lots, outlined in blue, near the post office downtown. City officials plan to rebuild a grid street network and are seeking proposals for mixed-use redevelopment.

The three office buildings have sat mostly vacant since 2021, when health care firm Press Ganey moved south to its location in Ignition Park. Caleb Bauer, executive director of the Department of Community Investment, said the city could demolish some or all of the office space as officials court interested developers in the coming months.

The area used to feature a grid network of streets before urban renewal efforts in the 1970s and 1980s cleared room for surface parking lots and office buildings. In many ways, Bauer said, the new streets would bring the site closer to its original state as a "bridge between the Monroe Park Neighborhood and downtown rather than what is essentially a separated office park."

"Historically, our river was not as clean as it is today, and it was more of a central node for industry," Bauer said. "Then after industry moved away from the river, it became a central node for office space. Now we're seeing that the riverfront is a high-value residential area."

South Bend officials plan to rebuild a grid street network, pictured above, near the post office downtown in place of an office park and parking lots. The design returns the area to its original state before urban renewal efforts of the 1970s and 1980s.
South Bend officials plan to rebuild a grid street network, pictured above, near the post office downtown in place of an office park and parking lots. The design returns the area to its original state before urban renewal efforts of the 1970s and 1980s.

Bauer said the city isn't currently planning to buy a large parking lot and a few more office buildings just to the north along the river. Those buildings have recently been used by Crowe accounting firm and the Portage Township Trustee's office, among other minor uses.

In order to fulfill its street design, however, the city would need to build through that property.

"The goal of this purchase is to set up the broader site's redevelopment," Bauer said, "so I'm not at liberty to share much beyond that. But yes, that's part of the broader vision — looking at the whole stretch there from (the Crowe building) down to Karl King tower."

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County property records show the two Crowe buildings and the large parking lot, all part of a single parcel at 330 E. Jefferson Blvd., were bought for $6,110,000 last July by a company called HP Blackbird LLC. Records from the Indiana Secretary of State's office show that company is affiliated with Timothy Healy, the president of Holladay Properties, a prominent real estate developer in South Bend.

Paul Phair, vice president of development for Holladay, confirmed his company owns the property along Jefferson. He said Holladay just completed a major renovation at the northern building, which will serve as Crowe's permanent offices.

The southern building is likely to be demolished to make way for a mixed-use development, Phair said. He expects it would be mostly residential, in line with the city's plans for the area. Holladay was drawn to the location's proximity to Howard Park, the riverfront and a path that leads to the South Bend Farmers Market district.

Holladay plans to subdivide the property to separate the two buildings from the parking lot. Bauer said the city plans for covered parking garages to replace surface lots to boost density in the area.

As outlined in last year's Monroe Park and Edgewater Neighborhood plan, city officials envision new housing as well as retail and office space that combine to form a vibrant riverside neighborhood. The 5.2 acres on which the office park sits would better connect with Howard Park across a path spanning the river.

"A healthy downtown needs to have all of those different uses — office, retail, residential," Bauer said. "Because when they all coexist, it really creates that vibrancy that makes people want to be in a downtown."

Director of Community Investment Caleb Bauer
Director of Community Investment Caleb Bauer

The city expects to close on the River Glen property purchase within 60 days and issue a public request for development proposals this summer.

Email South Bend Tribune city reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend buys riverfront office park downtown